Match-box holder.



. PATENTED APR. 26, 1904. B. A. PARKER.

' MATCH BOX HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILBD'DEO. 1, 1903.

I0 MODEL.

2 SHEETB-SHEET 1- www INVENTOR.

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v Nor/58.467. v PATENTED APR.26,1904.

B. A. PARKER. y MATCH BOX HOLDER.

APPLICATION 21mm D110. '1. 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 sums-sum 2.

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' my present invention, showing the holder atmatches that will not ignite when scratched Patented April 26, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT O EIC EDMUND A. PARKER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

MATCH-BQX HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No- 758,467, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed December 1, 1903.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND A. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Match- Box Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to match box holders for safety-matches, so called, and has for its object to provide an article of, this class which shall be neat and attractive in appearance, may be made highly ornamental, will hold either one or more boxes of matches at able standard, and, most important of all, may be made at a cost but slightly in excess of the actual cost of the strip of sheetmetal from which it is formed and the base to which it is attached.

By the term safety-matches is meant upon ordinary surfaces, but require for ignition a special friction-surface, which is ordinarily provided on the sliding covers of the boxes in which the matches are shipped.

With the above ends in view I have devised the novel matchebox holder of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, reference characters being used to indicate the several parts. 1

Figure 1.1s an elevatlon of a simple form of tached to a base, a match-box and a sliding cover therefor being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 2, a similar elevation from a point of view at right angles to that in Fig. 1, showing one box of matches in section and another box being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 3, a plan view corresponding therewith; Fig. 4, an elevation of a form of my novel holder adapted for attachment to a wall and carrying but a single box of matches; Fig. 5, an elevation from a point of view at right angles to that in Fig. 4:; Fig. 6, a plan view corresponding therewith; Figs. 7 and 8, elevations from different points of view, illustrating a form adapted to carry a single box only and attached to a base; and Figs. 9 and 10 are views corresponding with Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating a variant form semi No. 133,370. (No model.)

adapted to carry either one or two boxes, which are retained in place by locking-lips.

20 denotes a portable base, which may be of any ordinary or preferred construction.

My novel holder in its simplest form consists of a strip of metal bent to form an attaching-plate, retaining-springs, a box-rest, and a locking-lip, if preferred.

21 denotes the attaching-plate in all the 1 forms, which in all the forms, except that illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6. inclusive, is shown as secured to a base. In the form illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive,the attaching-plate is shown as secured to a wall by means of screws 22, passing through attaching-lips 23, struck out from the metal of the holder. In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, and 9 and '10 the attaching-plate is the central portion of a strip of metal. In Figs. 1 to 3, in clusive, the sides of the strips are bent upward at rightangles to the attaching-plate, then inward at right angles, forming box-rests 31, and then downward, the ends of the strip lying parallel and contiguous to each other and the whole strip above the attaching-plate forming springs 28, between which box-covers are gripped, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in other views. In all of the forms each holder, whether single or double, is provided with a horizontal locking-lip 24:, which is adapted to be engaged by the edge of one end of the match-box, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, in which I have indicated a matchbox by'25, matches therein by'26, and the sliding cover by 27.

The form illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 differs from that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, in-

clusive, only in the way the metal of the strip is bent to form the holders. In this form the holders are shown as attached to the base by a single screw only, the attaching-plate being curved upward slightly, making a bow-shaped instead of a flat plate. This, however, is wholly immaterial so far as the principle of the invention is concerned. In this form the sides of the strip are bent inward above the attaching-plate, then upward parallel and contiguous to each other, then outward and recurved inward to form the locking-lips, which are formed from the ends of the strip instead of by striking out tongues, as in the other forms. The holding action for both the cover and the box is precisely the same as in the other forms.

The forms illustrated in Figs. 4: to 8, inclusive, are single forms only, being adapted to carry but a single box of matches, the other forms being adapted to carry either one or two boxes of matches, as preferred. The form illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, closely resembles the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the difference being that the form in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, instead of being designed for attachment to a base has attaching-lips 23 for attachment toawall struck out from one of the holders in lieu of a locking-lip 24:. The form illustrated in Figs. 7

and 8 is a single holder only. One end of the strip in this form is shown as provided with teeth or prongs 29, a series in the present instance, and the other side of the strip is shown as provided with teeth or prongs 30, in the present instance a single prong, which engage the opposite inner sides of a box-cover and make it practically impossible to remove the cover from the holder without destroying it. One end of the strip is shown as provided with a locking-lip to retain the box in place in the same manner as in certain of the other forms.

The operation is as follows: In placing a A box of matches in position on the holder the operator pushes the end of the box corresponding with the'headless ends of the matches slightly out of the cover and engages the end of the box under the horizontal locking-lip, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, said locking-lip being at the top of the holder which supports the end of the box. He then slides the cover downward until the lower end thereof rests against the base. In case the locking-lip is not used the operator simply places the end of the box in engagement with the box-rest at the top of the holder and presses the cover down over the holder. In case of a double holder, where it is desired to provide two boxes of matches for use at the same time, the operation is precisely the same for placing the second box in position as for placing the first. The ends of the two boxes are engaged by the attaching-lip, the open sides of the boxes facing outward, and the covers are then slid down over the holders, the springs clamping the two covers against each other and holding them by friction securely in place. If butasingle box is placed upon a holder, the cover is clamped between the two spring ends of the strip and retained in place thereby in precisely the same manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A holder for a plurality of match-boxes consisting of a strip of metal the center of which forms an attaching-plate, the sides being bent equally upward from the attachingplate, then equally inward and then downward, the ends lying parallel and in proximity to each other, forming springs between which portions of two box-covers are gripped.

2. A holder for match-boxes consisting of a strip of metal the center of which forms an attaching-plate, the sides being bent upward from the attaching-plate, then inward and then downward, the ends lying parallel and contiguous to each other forming springs, and horizontal locking-lips struck out from the portion of the strip constituting the top of the holder, said lips being arranged to engage the end of a match-box to retain it in place on the holder.

3. In a match-box holder the combination with a base, of a holder formed from a strip of metal bent to form a plate for attachment to the base, then upward therefrom to form springs to engage a box-cover, then horizontally to form a support for the lower end of a match-box, and provided with a horizontal locking-lip above the plane of said support to engage the end of a box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND A. PARKER.

Witnesses:

O. W. GAINES, W. P. ZIEGLER. 

